Hydration of magnesia cubes: a helium ion microscopy study.

ABSTRACT: Physisorbed water originating from exposure to the ambient can have a strong impact on the structure and chemistry of oxide nanomaterials. The effect can be particularly pronounced when these oxides are in physical contact with a solid substrate such as the ones used for immobilization to perform electron or ion microscopy imaging. We used helium ion microscopy (HIM) and investigated morphological changes of vapor-phase-grown MgO cubes after vacuum annealing and pressing into foils of soft and high purity indium. The indium foils were either used as obtained or, for reference, subjected to vacuum drying. After four days of storage in the vacuum chamber of the microscope and at a base pressure of p < 10(-7) mbar, we observed on these cubic particles the attack of residual physisorbed water

SUBMITTER: Schwaiger R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4901542 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature